123 posts categorized "Barack Obama U.S. Senate seat"

July 26, 2010

A federal court judge could rule as early as Thursday on a plan that would require voters to cast two votes for U.S. senator on the Nov. 2 ballot — one for an interim senator to serve only a few weeks and another to serve a full six-year term beginning in January.

U.S. District Court Judge John Grady today asked lawyers for the state and advocates of a special election to draw up an agreed-upon order for how candidates in the special election will appear on the ballot. Grady's request came after appointed U.S. Sen. Roland Burris’ attorney argued Burris should have a chance to run to finish out the Senate term.

July 22, 2010

A federal appeals court ruling today makes it more likely that Illinois voters on Nov. 2 will decide on an interim U.S. senator who will serve just a few weeks in office, while also voting on a U.S. senator for a full six-year term that begins in January.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an appeal for a rehearing by state officials who argued that it would be a logistical nightmare, as well as a costly and needless expense, to hold special elections to replace appointed Sen. Roland Burris with only eight weeks remaining until a new senator is inaugurated.

July 18, 2010

President Barack Obama will headline a Chicago fundraiser on Aug. 5 for Democrat Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias, his campaign announced today.

The fundraiser announcement, which was confirmed by the White House, comes on the heels of the one-term state treasurer announcing that he is trailing Republican opponent Mark Kirk in fundraising by a significant margin.

July 15, 2010

Despite fundraising help from members of President Barack Obama's administration, including Vice President Joe Biden, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias has about one-quarter the amount of campaign money in the bank as Republican opponent Mark Kirk.

Giannoulias raised about $900,000 between April and June, his spokeswoman Kathleen Strand said today. That leaves the rookie state treasurer with about $1 million in his campaign fund ahead of the Nov. 2 election.

Kirk, a five-term North Shore congressman, raised about $2.3 million this spring and had about $4 million on hand to start July. The two are vying for the Senate seat once held by Obama in a closely watched contest.

July 11, 2010

Jesse Jackson Jr. suffers collateral damage in Blagojevich trial

By John Chase and Rick Pearson, Tribune reporters

Secret recordings of then- Gov. Rod Blagojevich talking about what he
could get in return for a U.S. Senate appointment show that as the
federal authorities closed in, there was just one contender he thought
he could get a deal with — U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.

Though he isn't charged and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing,
Jackson has suffered more collateral damage than any other politician so
far in the former governor's political corruption trial. And when the
trial is finished, Jackson faces the resumption of a House ethics probe
into his actions.

Jackson has spent in excess of $200,000 in legal fees from his federal
campaign fund amid the Blagojevich criminal investigation and the
resulting congressional inquiry, which was put on hold at the request of
the U.S. attorney's office while the criminal case plays out.

In expletive-laced conversations played in court and released publicly,
Blagojevich and his inner circle ridiculed Jackson as a political
lightweight unworthy of the Senate seat vacated by President Barack
Obama. But Blagojevich warmed to the notion that Jackson loyalists could
raise $1 million for the governor — an alleged scheme that prosecutors
now say Jackson knew about.

June 22, 2010

As the November 2008 election neared, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was focusing
more on the possibility of filling the U.S. Senate seat of Barack
Obama, and he was exploring the notion of using the pick to get
something for himself after he left the governor’s office, a former aide
testified.

Ex-chief of staff John Harris recalled two conversations with
Blagojevich in late October 2008. In the first, Harris said, Blagojevich
talked about how much “he might get for the Senate seat” from wealthy
people with political ambitions such as multimillionaires Blair Hull and
J.B. Pritzker.

Harris said Blagojevich also floated the notion of
getting money for his campaign fund or some advocacy group he would
champion in exchange for the pick.Harris said he and general
counsel Bill Quinlan, also in on the meeting, both told Blagojevich he
shouldn’t even consider such ideas. A few days later, however,
Blagojevich brought it up again, Harris said. This time, Harris said,
Quinlan cautioned Blagojevich, “Don’t even joke about things like that.”

A
few days before the election, Blagojevich asked Harris to devise a
process for filling the vacancy, but he said the governor did not follow
his suggestions.

Harris also drew up talking points for
Blagojevich to mention in public statements about the selection process,
and Blagojevich did repeat some of those.

“I will embark on
fulfilling my duties under the United States Constitution and Illinois
law to appoint his replacement,” read one of the talking points. Another
read: “I will follow a thoughtful and deliberative process. It will be
orderly and timely.”

On Nov. 2, two days before the election,
Harris said he was shopping for shoes with his son when he got a cell
phone call from Rahm Emanuel, the North Side congressman who was soon to
become Obama’s chief of staff.

Kirk, a five-term North Shore congressman, sought but did not get supportive words from Palin during the Senate primary campaign. Instead of attending the May 12 fundraiser in Rosemont, Kirk will be in Washington for scheduled House votes, his campaign said.

April 22, 2010

Lawyers for former Gov. Rod
Blagojevich today asked a federal judge for permission to subpoena
President Barack Obama to testify at Blagojevich's upcoming trial.

Blagojevich
is charged with using his office to enrich himself and close
associates, including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat
that Obama vacated in 2008 with his election to the White House.

Blagojevich's lawyers have
previously suggested they might try to
question the president.

"President Obama has direct knowledge to
allegations made in the indictment," the defense said in its filing. "In
addition, President Obama's public statements contradict other witness
statements."

All 50 aldermen on the Chicago City Council had to file paperwork earlier this year detailing their outside income and gifts. The Tribune took that ethics paperwork and posted the information here for you to see. You can search by ward number or alderman's last name.

The Cook County Assessor's office has put together lists of projected median property tax bills for all suburban towns and city neighborhoods. We've posted them for you to get a look at who's paying more and who's paying less.

Past posts

Clout has a special meaning in Chicago, where it can be a noun, a verb or an adjective. This exercise of political influence in a uniquely Chicago style was chronicled in the Tribune cartoon "Clout Street" in the early 1980s. Clout Street, the blog, offers an inside look at the politics practiced from Chicago's City Hall to the Statehouse in Springfield, through the eyes of the Tribune's political and government reporters.